The Hypersomnia Foundation announced its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force last week on social media. This group of volunteers and HF Board Members are working to understand and identify the challenges people of diverse backgrounds may face when they need healthcare for excessive daytime sleepiness and other symptoms of sleep disorders.
“Inclusiveness has always been an HF value,” said Diane Powell, HF Chair and CEO, “as stated on our website alongside our mission statement. We believe all people with hypersomnias deserve timely diagnosis and effective treatment in order to live a healthier, more fulfilling life. But it is also clear to us that achieving that health equity in the arena of sleep disorders requires intentional action on our part.”
HF is consulting with DEI experts and plans to hold listening sessions in the community, as first steps. We are grateful to DEI leaders, like Teneasha Washington and Veronica Mullins of the RareX DEI Council, who have shared their expertise with us, and we are so appreciative of the volunteers and Board members on the Task Force. Most of us in the hypersomnia community know someone who has struggled to get a proper diagnosis. The Task Force members are working to ensure that everyone with a hypersomnia disorder can get a diagnosis and treatment, especially those who may face additional hurdles in our health system.
See also—A Call to Action: Racial Disparities in Hypersomnia Disorders. Interested in joining HF’s DEI Task Force? Email us at .